Driving Could Take Toll

Highway Group Backs Plan To Charge At Area's Crossings

July 09, 2005|By TERRY SCANLON Daily Press

Regional officials reject widening the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel even though it's $2 billion cheaper than a third crossing.

If plans for the so-called third crossing come true, drivers on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel would pay tolls while traffic there continues worsening and the less-used Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel gets four new lanes.

In addition to widening the Monitor-Merrimac and the rest of Interstate 664, the third crossing would provide new connections from that bridge to Portsmouth and Norfolk that would easily make it the most expensive project in the region's history at more than $4 billion.

By contrast, doubling the size of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel on Interstate 64 would cost about $1.8 billion. And it would provide enough lanes to handle a typical rush hour in 2018, according to traffic projections from the region's highway planners, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

While the third crossing would divert some traffic from Interstate 64 to I-664, drivers at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel would still meet delays on a daily basis in 2018, according to projections.

"We don't understand why they want to build the third crossing when the HRBT is half as expensive," said Hampton City Manager Jesse Wallace.

Hampton officials want the region to agree to widen the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel -- the city's sole connection to South Hampton Roads -- because it exceeds capacity daily and because adding lanes there would be cheaper than building the mammoth third crossing.

On average, more than 91,000 cars used the tunnel daily between 2001 and 2003. In the same period, a little more than 52,000 cars used the Monitor-Merrimac daily.

Last month, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, a group that dictates which highway projects can be built, rejected Hampton's proposal for widening the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

Instead, the group supported a plan that calls for raising four taxes and adding tolls at every tunnel and major bridge in the region to help pay for a massive package of road projects.

If the plan were to become reality -- which is a long way from happening -- the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel would still be a four-lane highway in 2030. According to traffic studies, delays would be worse, and drivers would be paying 80-cent tolls to get through the tunnel.

Newport News Mayor Joe Frank has been one of the leading advocates of the third crossing. He said it's not fair to compare that project to widening the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

"One's a road project," he said, referring to widening the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, "and one's a comprehensive approach to mobility in the Hampton Roads region."

The third crossing, Frank said, would add more access to the ports in Norfolk and Portsmouth, the naval base in Norfolk, downtown Norfolk and the fastest-growing parts of the region -- Chesapeake and Suffolk.

"While it is true that it's cheaper to expand the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, you don't get the benefit," he said. "You're just widening a road that's still going to be congested."

Finances may make the debate pointless.

The region doesn't have the money to build either and would need permission from the federal and state governments to levy the tolls and taxes needed to raise the money.

At the meeting last month, the Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed to ask the state and federal governments to approve a plan for paying for the third crossing and dozens of other large and small road projects in the region.

The financing plan would raise an additional $275 million a year to supplement the roughly $1 billion the region expects to get for new roads in the next two decades. The $275 million would come from:

* 80-cent tolls on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and the James River Bridge.

* A half a penny increase on the sales tax.

* An eight-cent increase on the gas tax.

* An additional $50 vehicle registration fee.

* An additional penny on the sales tax for cars.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected a one-cent sales tax increase for new roads three years ago. Still, Frank said it's important to push this plan because something must be done.

Without more money, the region could face sanctions from the federal government for not having a financially realistic plan for reducing congestion and air pollution. *

HOW THE CHOICES AFFECT THE HRBT

About 91,000 vehicles used the bridge-tunnel between 2001 and 2004. Analysts expect that number to rise, but how much depends on what changes are made. Below are traffic projections for 2018.

No Widening the Building the

changes HRBT third crossing

Vehicles per day 118,000 145,000 98,000

Lanes 4 8 4

Over capacity at rush hour Yes No Yes

Cost $0 $1.8 billion $4.2 billion

New access to ports No No Yes

Source: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, VDOT

METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

The Metropolitan Planning Organization is a federally mandated body that maintains a 20-year transportation plan for Hampton Roads.

WHO'S ON IT?

The 15-member board includes one representative chosen by each city and county in the region. They're typically county supervisors, city councilmen, county administrators and city managers.

WHY IS THE 20-YEAR PLAN IMPORTANT?

Road projects don't happen unless they're in the plan. Combined, the projects in the plan must lower the expected air pollution in the region. However, only projects the region expects to be able to pay for can be included.

WHEN IS THE 20-YEAR PLAN APPROVED?

The plan is updated every three years and comes up again for approval next summer.